Ambassador Moushira Khattab selected president of Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights

CAIRO – 4 October 2021: The Egyptian House of Representatives announced on Monday selecting Ambassador Moushira Khattab as the new president of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR).

Egyptian politician Moushira Khattab held several high-level diplomatic posts and was Egypt's candidate for the post of UNESCO Director-General at the 2017 elections but lost the runoff vote to her French rival, Audrey Azoulay.

The House on Monday also selected Ambassador Mahmoud Karem as vice president of the NCHR. Karem served as Egypt’s ambassador to the European Union and has been a member of the NCHR.

Nehad Lotfy Aboul Qomsan, an Egyptian activist in women’s rights and widow of renowned Egyptian politician Hafez Abu Saada, was selected as a member of the NCHR.

The House selected other members of the NCHR, namely George Ishak Gerges, Hany Ibrahim Fahmy, Ghada Mahmoud Hamam, Noha Talaat Abdel Latif, Samira Luke Daniel, Mohamed Esmat El-Sadat, Dina Hisham Abbas, and Ismail Abdel Rahman Mohamed.

Other members include Journalist Ezzat Youssef Ibrahim, Dr. Mohamed Anas Qassem, Dr. Mohamed Sameh Bandar, Dr. Hoda Ragheb Awad, Dr. Nevin Abdel Moneim Mosaad, Dr. Noha Ali Bakr, Lawyer Abdel Gawad Ahmed Ahmed, and Lawyer Rabeha Fathy Shafik.

The members also include Lawyer Essam El-Din Ahmed Taha, Lawyer Saeed Abdel Hafez Darwish and Dr. Ayman Gaafar Ahmed, Dr. Walaa Gad El Karim, Lawyer Mohamed Mamdouh Galal, Lawyer Alaa Sayed Shalabi, Dr. Mahmoud Mohamed Saad Metwally, and Dr. Wafaa Benjamin Mitri.

Established in 2003, the NCHR is composed of twenty-seven members, including the president and vice president.

The NCHR, through independent work in the country, seeks to develop and implement a national strategy for human rights as well as to protect and promote human rights in accordance with the Constitution.

The NCHR’s vision is to “make human rights concerns a national priority.”

The Council holds human rights-related conferences, sessions and round-table discussions. It also posts regular reports about the recent developments of the human rights situation in the country.

The NCHR also cooperates with the National Council for Women and the National Council for Motherhood and Childhood to enhance the state’s institutions’ efficiency regarding promoting human rights.

This comes through developing media campaign and educational programs and through training state officials.